A recent snapshot of pediatric vascular trauma injuries

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Amanda Tullos

A study of major pediatric vascular injuries delivered in the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS) Paper Session during the 2022 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in June found that 70.2% of the cohort analyzed presented with penetrating trauma.

More specifically, noted authors Amanda Tullos, MD, a research fellow at Lousiana State University in New Orleans, Malachi Sheahan III, the institution’s vascular chief, and colleagues 60.8%, or 45 of 74, were secondary to gunshots.

Arterial injuries were the most common (67 of 74, 90%). In 55.2% (32 of 58) of the patients who underwent surgery, the vascular repair was performed by a vascular surgeon; the remaining (44.8%, 26 of 58) were conducted by trauma surgeons. 

Tullos and Sheahan charted the demographics, injuries, and outcomes of the pediatric vascular trauma population, identifying any risk factors associated with complications or death.

“Although pediatric vascular trauma is rare, it can result in severe functional deficits or death,” they noted, concluding: “Pediatric trauma is a leading cause of death in patients under 18 years of age. Although vascular trauma is uncommon in pediatric patients, it is associated with high morbidity and mortality.”

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